The International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP), also known as the Petrucci Music Library after Ottaviano Petrucci, is a project for the creation of a virtual library of public domainmusic scores, based on the wiki principle. Since its launch on February 16, 2006, over 55,000 scores, for over 22,000 works, by over 3,000 composers have been uploaded, making it allegedly the largest public domain music score collection on the web.[1] The project uses MediaWiki software to provide contributors with a familiar interface.

Contents

History

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Overview

The site launched on February 16, 2006. The library consists mainly of scans of old musical editions out of copyright. In addition, it admits scores by contemporary composers who wish to share their music with the world by releasing it under a Creative Commons license. One of the main projects of IMSLP was the sorting and uploading of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach in the Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe (1851–99), a task that was completed on November 3, 2008. Besides J.S. Bach's complete public domain works, all of Ludwig van Beethoven's, Frédéric Chopin's, Johannes Brahms's, Canteloube's, Handel's, Corelli's, Scriabin's, Faure's, Palestrina's, Satie's, Sibelius's, Schumann's, a large percentage of Franz Liszt's, and others are available as well.

Besides providing a digital repository, IMSLP offers possibilities as a musicological encyclopaedia, since multiple and historical editions of a single composition can be uploaded, and musicological analyses and historical commentaries accompany the scores.

Awards

In 2009, IMSLP won the MERLOT Classics award for Music.[25] It was named one of the Top 100 Web Sites of 2009 (in the "Undiscovered" subsection) by PC Magazine.[26]

Closure and reopening

On October 19, 2007 the IMSLP closed following legal demands from Universal Edition of Vienna, Austria.[27] The cease and desist letter expressed concern that some works that are in public domain in the server's location in Canada with copyright protection of 50 years post-mortem, but which are protected by the 70 years post mortem term in some other countries, were available in those countries. The administrator of the website, known under the nickname Feldmahler, decided to close down the repository, but left the forums online so that discussions into the best way to proceed could be made:[28]

On Saturday October 13, 2007, I received a second Cease and Desist letter from Universal Edition. At first I thought this letter would be similar in content to the first Cease and Desist letter I received in August. However, after lengthy discussions with very knowledgeable lawyers and supporters, I became painfully aware of the fact that I, a normal college student, has neither the energy nor the money necessary to deal with this issue in any other way than to agree with the cease and desist, and take down the entire site. I cannot apologize enough to all IMSLP contributors, who have done so much for IMSLP in the last two years.

– Feldmahler (project leader)

In response, director Michael S. Hart of Project Gutenberg offered support to keep the project online.[29] This offer was declined by Feldmahler, who voiced concern about having the project hosted in the United States, and consulted the Canadian wing of Project Gutenberg.[28] On November 2, 2007, Michael Geist, a prominent Canadian copyright academic, wrote an article for the BBC discussing the specifics and the wider implications of this case.[30]

IMSLP went back online on June 30, 2008. Since its reopening, IMSLP has been using a strict copyright policy, where uploaded files are only made accessible for download after the copyright status for three most frequent copyright regimes has been reviewed by staff members.

Current Operation

IMSLP states on its site [31] that it is owned by Project Petrucci LLC. Physical contact information is provided, listing only an address in the United States.